By
ELOISE JOHNSTONE

V/Line service frustrates Bendigo commuters

ANGRY Bendigo V/Line customers say they nearly did not make it back to central Victoria on Sunday night after the online journey planner displayed incorrect information about the times and places of services.

V/Line customers relying on the online timetable were told to catch a train replacement bus from Footscray Station to Sunbury due to line work, before catching a connecting train to Bendigo.

Passenger Troy Robbins said many fellow passengers were left confused and irritated after they were told by Southern Cross Station

V/Line staff that the online timetable departure times were incorrect and replacement buses would leave Southern Cross, not Footscray.

Mr Robbins said V/line staff were very unhelpful and coach bays were incorrectly labelled and did not match information screens at the station.

He lodged an official complaint with Public Transport Victoria yesterday.

He said he was lucky to get back to Bendigo after planning to get a 9.57pm train from Footscray.

“If I had followed the instructions and gone to Footscray and not stopped at Southern Cross I wouldn’t have got back,” he said.

He said many passengers on the service were frustrated with the misinformation and lack of communication by staff.

“I’m an infrequent traveller and during service disruptions V/Line are not making it easy,” Mr Robbins said.

“The only way people got on the right bus was by hassling staff.”

A V/Line spokesman said the transport provider was aware there was a discrepancy between the information provided on the online journey planner and the actual transport times.

“We apologise to customers who experienced any inconvenience,” he said.

“We know how important it is for people to be able to rely on information provided.”

The spokesman said another line closure for track work had been scheduled between Friday, January 4, and Sunday, January 13.

“V/Line will do all it can to ensure the problems experienced on Sunday do not occur with future line closures for track work.”